Vice Mayor Waters Gets In Hassle At Town Hall.. Gets Town Resident Arrested

Yesterday, we reported that Oro Valley resident Ryan Hartung would deliver recall petitions on Oro Valley Mayor Satish Hiremath that morning. He did so, submitting more thatn 3,400 signatures. This is 20% more than required.

Apparently, the event caused Vice Mayor Lou Waters, who himself is subject a November election recall, to participate in a "gauntlet" of about 50 people wearing red "We Support Mayor Hiremath T Shirts."

Hartung  and some supporters walked the gauntlet to deliver the petitions, while police stood by idly.

Waters, however, did more than participate in the gauntlet

The event got ugly because Waters was walking around, putting his camera in the face of those delivering the petitions. This included an Oro Valley resident who wound up being cited by the police because he defended himself from this intrusion. Read the details in the Arizona Daily Independent. Read the Arizona Daily Star report here.  Read a follow up Arizona Daily Independent report which also includes a video of the incident.


(We watched the video. The incident was benign.)

According to one Oro Valley resident believes that the person who actually instigated the incident may have been Water's spouse: "If it's true that 'a woman standing next to Lou Waters' was the instigator, that woman is most likely his wife.  She has a reputation for trouble-making."

"Lou Waters got in [ Oro Valley resident's] face today with a camera. Lou lunged at him as he was apparently doing to other people all day and somehow [the resident] ended up on the ground and went to file police report against Lou. They made him wait a half hour. Meantime  the police took a report with Lou and claimed that [the resident] was the one at fault and arrested him"

According to another resident: "

According the the Independent, Waters was not cited by the police because he "is their boss."

All of this raises questions about Vice Mayor Water motives.

• Why was he even at this event? 
• What did he hope to accomplish running around with his camera?
• Does he actually think that bullying tactics are going to win him reelection?

When asked by one council member why he was there he said it was "... Because they are trying to take my job."

Many suggest Vice Mayor Waters, that there would not have been a recall had you done his job. 

The Oro Valley Police Department issued a press release reporting another version of the events. It states that the resident assaulted Waters and that Waters suffered injury. We checked with one of our contacts who saw Waters after the incident. There was no  injury. Here is the police release.

"Town of Oro Valley Vice Mayor Lou Waters assaulted

Oro Valley, Arizona (June 24, 2015) - On June 24, 2015 at 10:01 a.m., Town of Oro Valley Vice Mayor Lou Waters (76 year-old) was assaulted outside the Town Administration Building. The victim, Waters, was photographing individuals gathered in support of Mayor Satish Hiremath. Over one dozen witnesses reported to the Oro Valley Police Department officers and detectives that Oro Valley resident, Thomas John Kamoske (63 year-old), assaulted Waters by charging at him and shoving papers into the camera lens. This action pushed the camera back into the face of Waters, resulting in an abrasion and contusion above his right eye.

Witnesses also reported that after the assault on Waters, Kamoske fell to the ground, claiming he had been pushed by Waters. One witness captured the fall on video, which shows Kamoske deliberately falling to the ground.

An investigation was conducted and probable cause existed to arrest Kamoske. He was cited and released into Pima County Justice Court for Assault (M3)."

Apparently, the Oro Valley Police Department has already done such a "thorough" investigation that they have convicted the resident! Notice also that the gathering is said to be in support of Mayor Hiremath. The real purpose was to hassle the citizens of Oro Valley who were turning in petitions to recall Mayor Hiremath.
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